


Dealing with Demons

by inatrice



Series: Drabbles and Twitter Prompts [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Demon!Keith, Fantasy AU, Knight!Shiro, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-03-01
Packaged: 2019-03-25 16:35:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13838733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inatrice/pseuds/inatrice
Summary: Shiro is the captain of King Alfor's Honor Guard in the Kingdom of Altea. Coming back from a task for the King, he runs into a different form of trouble.“You're hurt.” He said, taking a step toward them. “Do you need help?”The form stopped moving, frozen it seemed, by the prospect. “I don't need your help, I have healing spells.”“And I have more food than I need,” Shiro told them taking another step forward. “I don't know much about magic, but I do know it takes a toll on the spirit.”The voice in front of him snorted. “Maybe for you. Magic comes to me as easy as I breathe.”Shiro’s eyes widened. That could only mean-





	Dealing with Demons

**Author's Note:**

> Another twitter prompt!! Suggested by Ji, thank you so much. This got way out of hand. I've started plotting out more stuff to this, but as busy as I am this semester I'm not sure how much time I can devote to it. But if enough people want it, there's more! So feel free to let me know!
> 
> They pronouns for Keith because demons don't fucking need gender.

The sun hung low in the sky. Shiro sighed as he did the math in his head, it was made more difficult with the surrounding trees and mountains just to the West. He finally figured he could ride for another two hours before he would be forced to make camp.

His horse was just as exhausted as he was. Being the captain of King Alfor's Honor Guard may have meant a cushy life inside the castle, but it also meant he was often sent in the King’s stead on political calls. Political calls that often ended in one on one duels between himself and another squire. It was worth it to defend the King’s honor, though, and he held the title of Paladin proudly.

As sundown drew nearer, he could feel a chill slip up his spine. The forest he was traveling through was known for for its fantastical creatures. There were stories of children being lured in by beautiful sprites, bones left by the sides of the path by weres, there had even been whispers of demon activity; lingering smells of sulfur near charred patches of earth. 

Shiro pushed those thoughts from his mind. He had been trained for battle since he'd been given to the King’s service at the age of 6. He carried a sword that had been blessed by Honerva, protection runes and sigils carved into the steel, the tip forged of silver. He knew a few spells himself, some for healing, some for banishing. Some called these precautions ridiculous, but Shiro was never one to turn down something that could give him the upper hand.

He tugged gently on the reins of his horse, a large, muscled mare named Leona that was as black as the night with a wavy mane and feathered hooves. She slowed at his instruction and Shiro dismounted. He led her over to an outcropping of rocks where they sat against the foothills of the mountains, a sheer cliff face sprouting up from the ground. The rocks offered what looked to be a small cave and Shiro headed for it, planning to gather firewood while there was still some light left to see by.

Tying his mare down near the entrance, Shiro turned back to the forest. He still had 3 days worth of rations for only another half day’s travel, so there wasn’t a need to hunt, but his training always had him on full alert anyway. As he kept his eyes low he saw it. The scorch marks in the earth, drops of blood staining the grass and splashing up onto the trees. Fear struck through him like liquid lightning, and Shiro forced himself to breathe, fighting off memories of the past. It wasn't anything he hadn't faced before and surely something he was bound to face again. With the thought, he flexed his automaton hand. He'd lost his arm when a rival leader had sent infernal beasts in an attempt to assassinate Alfor. Shiro had protected his King, earning him his current title but losing a limb in the process. It, too, was inscribed with runes and sigils meant to protect and Shiro looked down at them, knowing he was protected. He turned away from the scene of the summoning and turned his search for firewood elsewhere. 

He returned to the small outcropping of rocks just as the sun touched the tips of the mountains, an armful of wood in tow. Leona was restless, hooves unable to stay planted to the ground, her head bobbing as he approached. Shiro dropped his wood and went to her, hand outstretched with the intent to calm her, but a movement from inside the small cave caught his eye. His mare whinnied and Shiro rested his hand on her head as he watched the entrance of the cave, trepidation growing. He whispered a few placating words to her before he took in a breath and took a step towards the cave. He reached for the hilt of his sword, readying himself for any foe that had entered his camp. 

As he stepped past the entrance, Shiro strained his eyes in the dimming light for any movement. He thought he could hear ragged breath coming from farther in and his grip on his hilt tightened. “Who’s there?” He asked, his tone the same as the one he used to scold the King’s fledgling swordsmen. “Show yourself and I won't harm you for intruding on my camp.”

A small fireball whizzed passed his head. Shiro dodged to the side as Leona outside shrieked in alarm.

“ _ Your _ camp?” Another ball of flame. “Didn't you stop to check if there was anyone here first?”

Shiro crouched down to dodge again, a glare on his face. The voice was smokey and masculine and well...it did have a point. He had only paused for a cursory glance inside the small cave, too tired to put more effort into it than that before he started searching for firewood for the night. 

Shiro's eyes adjusted a bit more to the dark and he could see the outline of someone in front of him. They looked lithe, full of wiry muscle, and injured. They were clutching their side. Shiro stood, his hand coming away from his sword. “You're hurt.” He said, taking a step toward them. “Do you need help?”

The form stopped moving, frozen it seemed, by the prospect. “I don't need  _ your _ help, I have healing spells.”

“And I have more food than I need,” Shiro told them taking another step forward. “I don't know much about magic, but I do know it takes a toll on the spirit.”

The voice in front of him snorted. “Maybe for you. Magic comes to me as easy as I breathe.”

Shiro’s eyes widened. That could only mean-

A large flare of fire bloomed to life in front of him and he rolled to the side, pulling his sword out as he shoved himself back to his feet. There wasn’t enough room in this cave to fight, not the way he wanted to, so he had to end this quickly. Either kill the demon or banish it back to its realm. Shiro let out a fierce cry and heaved himself forward, blessed sword slashing through the air. The demon grunted in its effort to dodge, favoring its right side, and sending out another bolt of flame.

The heat from the supernatural fire made him break out in a sweat from proximity, but Shiro was well versed in avoiding demonic magic. He moved himself forward, into the demon’s space. Just as he swung his sword to lob the demon’s head off, a clawed hand drenched in flame approached the side of his head, ready to melt it away.

They paused, in a stalemate, and Shiro could see his opponent properly for the first time. He never thought himself a weak man, but the creature in front of him was heart-stoppingly beautiful. They had deep maroon skin, violet eyes that shimmered like stars in the fire light, framed by hair black as the midnight sky. Shiro saw the demon’s expression fall open as well as they made eye contact and for a moment the world froze. Shiro felt his grip on his sword loosen as the heat from the flames cooled. 

He opened his mouth to speak but instead, the world trembled as a deafening roar sounded throughout the forest.

The demon swore in a language Shiro didn’t understand and they lowered their hand, flames extinguished. “What has that idiot gotten himself into?”

“Idiot?” Shiro echoed, lowering his sword. He turned his gaze towards the cave entrance, not caring that fear showed plain on his face. He knew that sound, knew the kind of infernal power that could produce such a bellow.

“The boy who summoned me.” The demon answered with a frown, also facing the cave entrance. “I was practice and was supposed to aid him in controlling  _ that _ . But he’s young and as much as I told him you can’t cast ideal summoning circles in  _ grass _ he went and did it anyway.” Shiro raised an eyebrow at the creature as it sighed. When it caught his expression, the demon rolled its eyes. “Can  _ you _ create a solid circle of paint in the grass?”

“I guess not.” Shiro conceded. He finally registered Leona braying outside of the cave and by sheer force of habit, stepped forward to try to comfort her. 

By the third step he paused and spun around quickly, realizing he had left his back open to a creature of evil. But the demon was simply looking down at the gash on its side. Shiro watched with grim fascination as the dark skin, covered in a black ichor, knitted itself back together under a small blue glow.

The demon looked up at him then and shooed at him with its free hand. “Excuse you.”

Shiro averted his gaze, starting to mumble an apology before stopping himself. Did a demon deserve an apology? He shook his head, shoving the question away for now, and backed out of the cave. He kept the creature in sight this time before he made it back into the growing twilight. He hurried over to Leona, taking her by the reins as she bucked, eyes rolling in the back of her head. Shiro sheathed his sword and began to speaking to her in a calming tone until she was calm enough to pet her head. 

A few moments later, however, the two of them startled again when the pile of firewood he collected earlier burst into flames. Shiro frowned as the demon padded out of the entrance to the cave. The demon simply shrugged at him. “Wasn’t that the end goal?”

Shiro simply sighed and ran his hand over his mare’s face a few more times before he let go of her reins and grabbed his bags of supplies, pulling them closer to the fire. He saw the demon, injury free, watching him out of the corner of its eye and he watched back. Though an unspoken peace had been achieved with the introduction of a much larger and more dangerous threat, he still didn’t trust this creature. A thought occurred to him as he neared the other, and with a frown shoved his automaton arm in the demon’s face.

“Rude?” The demon spat, pushing his hand away.

“Doesn’t that hurt you?” Shiro asked, the need to know the answer outweighing the fear of it.

The demon frowned and grabbed his arm, pulling it back in to examine it. “Oh, you mean the sigils? These are for the higher order demons, like that one we heard a bit ago. Not for me.”

Shiro felt his stomach drop to his feet. “You mean it doesn’t cover all of you?”

The demon shook its head, black hair swaying with the motion. Shiro could see small horns popping out of the top of its head. “You remember what I said about the grass earlier? With us demons you have to be extremely specific, otherwise we tend to do still do what we want.” They focused in on one of the sigils and pointed to a curled element with a circle at the end that was present on each. “This little detail here specifies order 8 and higher. I am sitting at order 7.”

Shiro yanked his arm out of the demon’s grasp. Did Honerva know that? Was that intentional?

“Your silver tipped sword however, that did sting the air as it flew by my face.” The demon continued, not allowing Shiro’s mind to run rampant with questions. “That was a good choice. Did you make it yourself?”

“Why should I tell you?” Shiro asked, frowning, any semblance of trust he’d felt gone.

“Someone with as many sigils on their person as you must have had a run in with some of my kind in the past.” The demon licked its lips as it breathed in. “I can taste them on you. They took your arm didn’t they?”

Shiro let out a shuddering breath and turned away. He hated that the demon could tell so much just from a few moments alone with him. It was more than most could tell in a day. He willed himself to calm down, it wouldn't do to get worked up with a demon at his side and a more powerful one wandering somewhere in the forest with an inexperienced summoner.

“Keith.” The demon offered.

Shiro turned back to them, confused. “What?”

“A bit of my name. Call it a peace offering. I'm certain you know the power names hold.” The demon, Keith, stared up at him, unblinking. Shiro fumbled around for an answer. “Don’t look so surprised.” Keith scoffed, tilting their head to the side. “I’d rather take my chances with you than whoever my idiot summoner decided was big enough to satiate their bloodlust.”

Shiro stared at them for a moment longer before speaking again. “Shiro.” Like Keith had said, it was only a bit of his true name but not enough to bind him or target in any spells.

Keith gave him a wide, toothy smile and Shiro tried not to shudder at the fangs sitting in that pretty head. “I’m glad we could reach an agreement, Shiro.”

There was another roar from deeper in the forest, farther away now, but still enough to shake the earth beneath their feet. The two of them turned toward the direction of the sound.

“Something should probably be done about that.” Shiro said, expression grim.

“Agreed.” Keith said, voice equally as serious. They turned their head back to Shiro and looked him up and down. “Do you know anyone else with a silver tipped sword?”

“It’s just me in the Altean Kingdom.” Shiro confessed. “But I think if I make an appeal more could be made.” It was Shiro’s turn to look back at the other. “But only if I know what we’re going up against.”

“My dear Paladin, are you proposing a deal with a demon?” Keith asked, mischief back in their voice.

“Tell me what you know about the summoner and the demon and I’ll give a silver tipped sword to each warrior in my Honor Guard.” Shiro told him, not hesitating another moment. He held out his automaton hand, eager to put the larger threat to rest before dealing with the one in front of him.

Keith reached out to take his hand, but paused. “Ensure my safety once we reach your Kingdom as well and we have a deal.”

“Once we...you’re coming with me?” Shiro asked, brows drawing together.

“Does your Honor Guard know how to fight demons, Shiro?” Keith asked, eyes narrowing. “I’m sure you’ve told them the stories of those you have fought and taught them the proper techniques to avoid elemental spells, but how much experience do they really have?”

Shiro faltered, his shoulders dropping. Truth be told they didn’t. Summoning was strictly forbidden in Altea after the attempt on the King’s life, even if it was to practice battling any infernal threats. He trained his Guard as best as he could to fight any foe that came at them, but if he was going to bring them with to defeat whatever could make the earth tremble with just a voice….

“That’s what I thought.” Keith said, folding their arms over their chest. “You need me for more than just information and I can’t be dismissed by anyone but my summoner. Surely, even you know the rules to that.”

He didn’t. He’d always been told that you could banish a demon with the right words. He felt the world shaking again, but this was the result of what he thought was truth being changed in an instant. “Summoning is illegal by decree of the King.” Shiro shot at the demon.

“You didn’t summon me.” Keith shot back.

“How am I to explain your presence, then?”

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out.” Keith said. They unfolded their arms and took a step closer into Shiro’s space. “So either you make sure I’m not killed the moment I set foot in your Kingdom so I can tell you the details and help train your warriors or you get nothing. The choice is yours.” This time they held out their hand, a small quirk at the corner of their lips, knowing they had Shiro cornered.

He stared down at the offered palm, torn. He could accept help from something he’d thought for years was nothing but an amalgamation of evil intent, or just let destruction befall those around him by someone who even a demon had called blood thirsty.

There was a sound of a small clap as their hands came together. Shiro locked eyes with the creature in front of him, feeling as though something inside and all around him suddenly shifted.

“You have a deal.”

**Author's Note:**

> So that's that!! Like I said I do have more ideas for where this could go, so if you liked it let me know and I'll try and continue!!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Come yell at me on twitter @inatrice. Lov u!


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